Umbrellas are known whose canopies are pointed, with the points directed up or down, and wherein the canopies, as so-called funnel umbrellas, are of two-parts and oppositely curved.
Umbrellas are predominantly used to deflect rain water outward. The arms supporting the canopy of such an umbrella are never completely above the canopy, but are wholly or partly underneath the canopy. The arms of these umbrellas are normally held on a shaft and supported by diagonal spreaders. They are often bent when in use.
Less well know are umbrellas that direct rain water inward toward the shaft. Such embodiments have arms above and/or below.
The particular disadvantage here is that the umbrella as a result of its basic shape is quite large because the pivots of the arms lie at different levels and the umbrella cannot be compactly folded together to be short. In addition the elements underneath the canopy have a support function so that the canopy when erected stands well above them and protection from the weather is reduced. The mechanism with guide wheels and cables in the shaft running to a winch is prone to failure and complex. In addition the canopy has a central opening that can be a problem when it rains.